The Class of 1892 Bells

*Location:

   Grover Cleveland Tower
   Graduate College
   Princeton University
   88 College Road West
   Princeton, New Jersey, USA
   LL: N 40.34056, W 74.66449

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Lisa J. Lonie   (C)
   1391 Walton Road
   Blue Bell, PA  19422-2138
   H: 215-283-3223   W: 215-780-1280
   F: 215-780-1289
   E: LLonie@hotmail.com

   1927-40 (None appointed)
   1941-67 Arthur Lynds Bigelow  (1909-67)
   1967-77 (none appointed)
   1977-93 Walter L. Nollner  (1922-2000)
   1993-2012 R. Robin Austin   (C)

*Contact:

   Penna Rose
   Director of Chapel Music
   Princeton University
   Princeton, NJ  08544-1098
   T: 609-258-3654
   E: prose@princeton.edu

*Schedule:

   Sundays 1300-1345 except during PhD
   exam periods in Jan, May, Oct.;
   summer series 1 pm Sundays,
   late June through August (guests)

*Remarks:

   Originally played rarely by guests,
   and daily by an electro-pneumatic
   roll player, which was dead by 1941.
   Console of 1966: - Y 74:GA/GC29  was
   made by Prof.Arthur Bigelow (and
   students); trebles added in 1966 (by
   Bigelow & students) and 1968 (by ?)
   were all cast for it in 1965; it was
   intended for 70 bells, but 3 smallest
   trebles disappeared before 1968; this
   console is now in Verdin museum in
   Cincinnati.  Next renovation completed
   1993, included new clappers, trans-
   mission, headpieces, frame, cabin,
   playing and practice keyboards, with
   transposition altered to concert pitch;
   the top semitone was removed to the
   University archives; new P&F bass cast
   to G&J heavy profile.
   Practice keyboard in basement of the
   Graduate College.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 67 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is G  in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     G D   /    G C 29
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   There is one missing bass semitone
   There is an identical practice console
   1 bell was recast or replaced in 1993
     by Petit & Fritsen 
   Prior history:
     In 1968, the instrument was enlarged to 67 bells
       by Paccard     
       (8 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     A#F#  /    A#C 25
       Transposition was down 3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to A 
       There were two missing bass semitones
     In 1966, the instrument was enlarged to 58 bells
       by Paccard     
       (30 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     A#A   /    A#C 25
     In 1943, the instrument was enlarged to 49 bells
       by Bigelow     
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     A#C   /    ----  
     In 1927, the instrument was begun with 35 bells
       by Gillett & Johnston
       (28 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C --  
       Transposition was down 5 semitone(s), i.e., from C to G 
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 1994

The Graduate College's home page has two pictures of the tower.  Click on "History" to find more pages with information about, and pictures of, the carillon.

A news article is accompanied by a photo of Robin Austin among the bass bells.  (Unfortunately, you must now pay to view it!)

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of Arthur Bigelow, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the fourth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by weight.
Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American concert class carillons by year of completion.

Other grand carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

The two bass bells of this carillon are among all great bells in North America.

Index to all traditional carillons in NJ.

Index to all tower bell instruments in NJ.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2024/07/24
   and on technical data last updated on 2020/10/10